One of the problems with the second wild card is that everybody thinks they're a contender at midseason. That means everybody's trying to buy and there are no sellers. All of the teams looking for that missing piece are trying to get it from the same five teams. The next two weeks are going to be very important in creating separation, which will make things a lot clearer. In fact, whoever pulls the trigger first could go a long way in deciding some of these pennant races.
With that in mind, there are some guys that you know without a doubt are going to be moved. Cole Hamels is the first name that comes to mind. There are a bunch of others that may or may not be on the block, but could definitely help a contender in the pennant race and maybe even beyond. Starting wtih Hamels, here are 10 players I think will be traded at the deadline, along with some possible landing spots.
Cole Hamels: The question isn't will Hamels be traded? The question is where? A lot of people are saying Boston, but the Red Sox are in an interesting spot. They're in last place, but still not out of it. They also know that in order to jump into the AL East race, they need a No. 1 starter. They also have the prospects to trade the Phillies. But other teams that need a starter do, too. Kansas City's not getting back to the World Series without a No. 1, and they know it. Do they jump on Hamels early so someone else doesn't get him? Then there's Houston. Everyone knows the Astros have a ton of prospects. And just imagine a Keuchel-Hamels 1-2 punch in the postseason.
Justin Upton: San Diego's big offseason splash has turned out to be a dud. The Padres aren't in it and aren't going to be, so you figure their guys are likely to move. Justin Upton being the most likely. Because he's the one you can actually get something for. The two Uptons on one team thing clearly doesn't work, either, so maybe cutting Justin loose will make B.J. (sorry, Melvin Jr.) not suck for the first time since he was on the Rays. As for Justin, I can see one of the NL wild card protagonists going after him. The Pirates and Cubs both have the prospects to make it happen. Upton's an NL guy, so I don't see him going to an AL team.
Ben Zobrist: It's been quite a long time (I don't even know how many years) that I've been envisioning Ben Zobrist in Pinstripes. Last year, I finally got my wish with Chase Headley. Will I get the Zobrist wish this year? I've been wanting the Yankees to fire Stephen Drew basically since the Red Sox said "if you're stupid enough to want him, go ahead and take him." Drew finally appears to be on his way out with Rob Refsnyder's arrival in the Bronx, but there's still two weeks to make the move for Zobrist. He makes a lot of sense. He's a utility guy, so he can spell basically everybody except Teixeira, A-Rod or McCann. More importantly, he's a switch-hitter, which is something that lefty-heavy lineup could use.
David Price?: This is the biggest question mark, which is why I put one next to his name. Price is a free agent at the end of the year, and it's going to cost quite a lot of money to keep him. The next two weeks are critical time for the Tigers. If they can tread water with Miguel Cabrera out, they might be buyers. If they start to fall out of the race, Price could be on the move. If he is, there'll be plenty of suitors. Houston being the main one.
Jonathan Papelbon: I've heard Toronto and Jonathan Papelbon linked for a while. The Blue Jays have a ridiculous lineup. Their glaring weakness is the pitching staff, and they can't expect to win games 9-7 in the playoffs. They're OK in the rotation, which can probably hold its own, but they definitely need some help in the bullpen. Specifically, they need a closer. Which is where Jonathan Papelbon comes in. Seems to make perfect sense.
Francisco Rodriguez: So many teams are going to be making offers for K-Rod that the Brewers will have to listen. After all, that's how they got him. When he first went to Milwaukee, it was as a setup guy. I wonder if that same thing will happen with him again. He's obviously got value as a closer, but any team needing bullpen help would love to have him. For instance, I can see the Dodgers making him a setup man for Kenley Janssen. But I can also see a team like the Tigers being in the Francisco Rodriguez market, too.
Johnny Cueto: For some reason, I think Cueto's going to end up in Kansas City. It just seems way to obvious that Hamels is going to end up in Boston, and Cueto's the next-best starter who's likely going to be on the block. And, again, the Royals know they need a frontline starting pitcher. Cueto won't require as big of a yield as Hamels, so he might be the Royals' No. 1 choice anyway.
Brandon Phillips: If Cueto goes, he probably won't be the only one. Cincinnati's likely going to enter full rebuilding mode, which means unloading some position players, too. You know Todd Frazier and Billy Hamilton aren't going anywhere. Joey Votto is the face of the franchise (although Frazier's giving him a run for his money), and Jay Bruce makes too much money. That leaves That Dude. He's still got some years and some dollars on his contract, so moving him might be tough, but I can see a market for him if he is made available. A market in Washington, for example.
Dan Haren: While I can easily see the Marlins standing pat and trying to win next year with the team they have and, presumably, an actual manager. One guy I can see them moving either way, though, is Dan Haren. He made no secret of the fact that he wasn't happy he was traded to the Marlins during the offseason. He even threatened retirement. So a return to the West Coast seems like something that would be agreeable to this California boy. A reunion with the Angels perhaps?
Jonathan Niese: Niese is on here for a completely different reason than all the others. The Mets have the pitching to be very dangerous in the postseason. But they're not going to get there with the current state of their lineup. And seeing as the Mets have 85 starting pitchers, swapping one for a bat makes the most sense. Harvey, de Grom, Syndergaard and Matz are untouchable, and Wheeler's hurt, so that leaves Bartolo Colon and Jon Niese. Colon's a free agent at the end of the season, so he might get moved because of that, but Niese is the one they can get more value for. To me, the most logical thing to do is send Niese to Milwaukee for Aramis Ramirez, giving them a third baseman to rent so that David Wright doesn't have to rush back.
Like I said, the two weeks before we actually get to the trade deadline will be very interesting. I also have a feeling we might see one of those trademark Boston Red Sox blockbusters. Just like they did when they shipped everybody to the Dodgers and won the World Series the next year or last year when they ended up getting Yoenis Cespedes for Jon Lester, who ended up losing the Wild Card Game with Oakland.
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